49ers owner declares “fresh start” for Colin Kaepernick

Posted by Darin Gantt on January 29, 2016, 8:21 AM EST

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The future of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was in question from the moment he was benched midseason. But with the hiring of coach Chip Kelly, owner Jed York said he’s leaving the possibility of his former starter reclaiming the job, and potentially flourishing.

During his Thursday appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, York said that decision would be up to Kelly and not him, downplaying the economic factors.

“I think the nice thing is we have the third-most salary cap room in the league, and everybody wants to make a big issue of, ‘Well, you need to make a decision on Colin.’ Et cetera, et cetera,” York said, via CSNBayArea.com. “We want Colin to get back healthy as soon as possible. We want to make sure that he’s able to take the field whenever he’s available.

“And we’ve all seen what Colin can do. Taking us to a Super Bowl, an NFC Championship game the year after. He’s had a great career here. Obviously last year wasn’t a great year for any of us in red and gold. And I think Chip is going to be a great addition, not just for Kap, but for the rest of the team. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Asked specifically if Kaepernick could regain the starting job once he’s recovered from thumb and knee surgeries, York was open to the possibility.

“There’s no question in my mind,” he said. “I’ve always had a very, very high opinion of Kap. Kap’s a great kid, he’s done a lot of great things for us. And again, this is a fresh start for everybody.”

Beating out Blaine Gabbert for his old job shouldn’t be difficult, and many think Kaepernick is well-suited to run the kind of offense Kelly will be implementing. And considering the fact he’s not exactly expensive, the “fresh start” might be all Kaepernick needs.

As a fan, I’d like to see him get a fresh start. But you would be naive to think he won’t be on a short leash regarding not only his play; but how his teammates respond to him.

SF had a great defense during Harbaugh, but if you actually remember the playoff games; Colin didn’t get much help from them when it mattered most. 4 playoff wins (3 of them on the road). 2 playoff losses, Colin scored 31 points in the Super Bowl with an “elite” defense and still lost. The other loss coming to Seattle where without Colin’s mobility the game wouldn’t have even been competitive (look at what Seattle did to Brees and Manning in that playoff run. YIKES)

Kaep’s ability to come back will be greatly dependent on if he can maintain the proper amount of confidence. If he comes back too confident that he is going to be starting and excel he will end up taking it too much for granted, and he will suffer. If he let’s last year get to him too much he will let it get into his head and suffer.
The mark of a true pro has always seemed to be an ability to face adversity in one’s performance with a true viewpoint of where you are at and what you need to do.

I think it is Kaep’s success is more dependent on him controlling this, rather than just what type of offense he is running. If Chip, his staff, and the team can help Kaep keep an accurate outlook and focus on what is ahead of them instead of what is behind him, Kaep still has a chance. Failing this would be a serious blow to him recovering to his old form.

Not a fan of York but at least he doesn’t speak in circles trying to confuse anyone who’ll listen because what he’s saying really has no substance like Jerry Jones does. Jerry likes to start about 4 sentences within one before he ever gets his word out then one thinks “All those words for THAT?”

Wait, Jed called him a “great kid”….aren’t they too close to being the same age for him to be saying that?

Jed is just a kid himself.

Bottom line, until kap can learn to throw with some touch and not only be able to fire 100 mph fastballs he and his receivers will continue to struggle. Hint: He won’t ever be able to not throw 100 mph fastballs.

If chip uses kap it will be an in an unorthodox way…a gimmick system. Have fun with that! I really think kap is gone. Especially at that price. JH got them to the sb…not kap.

I’m a 49ers fan and I’ll admit that kap is not anywhere near an elite quarterback. Kap excelled in a power running game offense that asked little from the quarterback. The last two years the 49ers moved away from the power running game and tried to make kap a pocket passer. He was outplayed by Gabbert! To believe chip can turn him around in a fast paced offense is just not likely. For those saying he’s a great runner, he’s great at running backwards and taking a ridiculous amount of lost yards sack. Gabbert averaged more yards per rush, and that guy who lead the chiefs to the playoffs the last two years is a better runner.

Most overrated QB in the NFL. The defense and running game got them to the Super Bowl and Championship Game, not Kaepernick.
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Kaepernick himself rushed for 180 yards in the playoffs to beat GB, so you can’t say it was the running game and not give the guy any credit.

“As a fan, I’d like to see him get a fresh start. But you would be naive to think he won’t be on a short leash regarding not only his play; but how his teammates respond to him.

SF had a great defense during Harbaugh, but if you actually remember the playoff games; Colin didn’t get much help from them when it mattered most. 4 playoff wins (3 of them on the road). 2 playoff losses, Colin scored 31 points in the Super Bowl with an “elite” defense and still lost. The other loss coming to Seattle where without Colin’s mobility the game wouldn’t have even been competitive (look at what Seattle did to Brees and Manning in that playoff run. YIKES)

I refuse to believe it was all a mirage. Call it denial of you must”

Most accurate thing I’ve read about Kaepernick and the 49ers in a long long time. The people saying the Niners defense lead them to the SB and NFC CH are simply delusional. In the playoffs the defense was pedestrian.

Another great example besides what the poster above has already identified is the defense giving up 17 quick points at Atlanta. Kaep won that game and had less than 10 starts under his belt. Think about that. A QB with basically no experience led an comeback down 17 in the NFC CH on the road. . . he needs to get back to the gunslinger mentality he played with in 2012 and at times in 2013.

Most accurate thing I’ve read about Kaepernick and the 49ers in a long long time. The people saying the Niners defense lead them to the SB and NFC CH are simply delusional. In the playoffs the defense was pedestrian.

Another great example besides what the poster above has already identified is the defense giving up 17 quick points at Atlanta. Kaep won that game and had less than 10 starts under his belt. Think about that. A QB with basically no experience led an comeback down 17 in the NFC CH on the road. . . he needs to get back to the gunslinger mentality he played with in 2012 and at times in 2013.

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Fantastic follow up. Kap and Harbaugh brought the Niners life again. I could not believe how average our defense was in the playoffs. Kap won a couple of those playoff games by his self. He has lead comebacks that we NEVER had experienced with Alex smith. Smith was not a horrible QB but he could hold a lead he just couldn’t come back when trailing. It is Kelly’s job to teach Kap and to get him ready for his fast pace offense in which I think it will fit his skill set perfectly.

You never know how things will play out and if there will be positive player dynamics with Kelly and the QBs.

More importantly, as soon as the 49er Offensive Line got old and begin to get dominated AND the 49er Defensive stars got hurt, everyone was amazed at how fast and how far the 49ers would fall from being a top tier team to a bottom tier team.

Anyone who thinks it is only the QB who makes the most impact should remember how neutralized Brady was when the Denver Defense emasculated, eviscerated, and stomped all over on the Make-Shift Patriot Offensive Line or how Carolina’s Defense incredibly Over-Whelmed, Dominated, and Emasculated the impotent Cards Offensive Line to reduce Palmer to a Ryan Lindleyish level of incompetence that are only exceeded by how horrible Elway was in his Epic Super Bowl losses (check out how bad were Elway’s QB ratings in his 3 Super Bowl blowout losses).

Kap has been running for his life behind a very poor offensive line the past few years, but Gabbert did something that kap couldn’t do, step up in the pocket and take a hit to make the throw. What have you done for me lately league, Gabbert should not be taken lightly that kap is just going to be given the starting job back. Crabtree left to play with the raiders and second year quarterback Derek Carr over signing an extension that paid more to stay and play with the 49ers. Was that all on kap? No, but the players lobbied for his benching this year. Gabbert has matured and is going to compete, will kap be kissing his biceps in San Francisco next year, I hope not.

More important … who else are they going to get? The QB stock in the draft are more prospects then immediate contributors. Kap has far more skill and proven winning experience then many QBs in the league. Last year was terrible, but all his previous success can’t be a complete fluke.

With all the sudden and unexpected retirements last year and a terrible coach the season went down the tubes fast for the 49ers.

SF has so many holes to fill, use the picks on those, and draft a prospect QB in a very late round, or just stick with Gabbert. Gabbert was better then most backups last year.

If Kap can’t get it done and they fall again, see what QB pool is like next year.

Without a MASSIVE contract renegotiation, Kaepernic will be cut or traded before April 1. That’s when his $15 mil salary cap hit becomes permanent. At most, Jed’s “fresh start” nonsense is a weak attempt to improve Kaepernic’s trade value, which is just about zero if teams expect him to be cut. No chance on earth they are committing to $15 mil guaranteed for a guy who will struggle to win the starting job over Blaine Gabbert ($2.5 mil).

I’m not sure I’d brag about all that cap room when the main reason is there are so many fewer good players/salaries due to management mistakes. Seems like someone bragging about getting a new car after they ruined the old one while driving drunk.

In the NFC Championship game our defense gave up 477 yds and n the SB we gave up 367. Offensively we totaled 373 and 468 respectively. Kaep 233 and 302 and lets not forget the Packer game. He can play football. He had a bad year but remember 1. He was in his 3rd offensive system in 3 years. 2. Our line the last 2 years wasn’t close the 2013 line. 3. We didn’t sign our key free agents i.e. Delanie Walker. He deserves another chance even if it’s to make sure Gabbert can actually beat him out.

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Sheattles window well and truly closed. But as usual anything 49ers related they arrive. The Bandwagon rolls up. A few sad, lonely and dejected “fans” fall off. Desperately the search and scramble, looking for reasons to become relevant to 49ers fans. They crave recognition, frantically clawing at any shred of an opportunity to create their chance of a rivalary. A faux rivalry, only outshone be their faux dynasty, but still they cling to this imaginary float. Truth is they have nothing. An empty shell. Their only glow a single Lombardi for their “years of dominance”. They are dark, lonely,sad characters. Craving the Red and Gold reverence, seeking the history of a storied, world wide brand, only to be trodden on and forgotten like the majority of their fellow “followers”. Their final despair, a scared ignorance of reality. AFC? NFC? No one knows – no one cares. They are of no significance, even in their own city. Their stadium, old, decrepit, hollow. Stolen nickname, stamped on by a school. Their greatest ever players remain unknown to the throng. One day, in an NFL far, far away, they hope to be important. For now they are bitter, pained, denied status. Denied a stage. Denied real fans. They grasp frantically and kneel at the 49er alter of greatness. Dazzled, transfixed, wide eyed at our 5. Unfit for purpose they crawl back to the rain. Loss is tragic. Show pity fellow Faithful. They are worthy of pity at least. Just pity, nothing more. They are worthless

What do you mean, “beating out Gabbert for the starting job should not be difficult?”
Gabbert earned the starting job. Look at the 2015 stats. Both Kaepernick and Gabbert each started 8 games…Gabbert is clearly the better quarterback. Kaepernick looked like a clown out there, which is why he was benched.

this is a nightmare right? someone please splash me w/water. firstly Kaep single handedly killed the team, then you fire the best coach in all of football(turned Stanford, 49ers, and now Michigan into powerhouses). make every excuse you want, 49ers did design the offense around Kaep(pistol), remember? then when the league figured it out, Kaep had to play pocket first, and he failed miserably, just look at the end of the superbowl. again, since a lot of you STILL don’t get it, Kaep ran the pistol, put up stellar numbers, and that is the reason for your confusion. you can’t see that he possesses almost zero pocket abilities, this is fact. as a lifelong 9er fan, it sickens me the state of the 49ers, if they start Kaep, i will boycott the 49ers until the team is sold…true 9er fans see the cancer